'Joe the Plumber' raffles AR-15 rifle

The Ohio man known to America as “Joe the Plumber” is raffling off an AR-15 rifle to protest discussion of a ban on assault weapons.

“Despite what national news commentators say, the AR 15 is NOT an ‘assault weapon’ or ‘weapon of mass destruction,’” he wrote at JoeForAmerica.com. “In honor of this magnificent rifle, JoeForAmerica.com is giving away a new AR 15 to the lucky man or woman who wins this drawing.”

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Joe the Plumber, whose real name is Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher, sprang onto the national stage during the 2008 campaign when President Barack Obama and then-GOP presidential candidate John McCain referenced him to further their arguments about helping working people.

On his website, Wurzelbacher encouraged viewers to simply submit their email address in order to be eligible for the AR-15.

“If you support Americans’ right to own the AR 15 and want a chance to win this one, simply register below by submitting your email address. That’s it. Good luck!” the post read. It was signed, “Joe Wurzelbacher (Joe the Plumber).”

Entries are due by midnight on March 31, the post said.

“Despite what the left-wing media would have you believe, there is no such thing as an ‘assault weapon,’” Wurzelbacher added in a statement. “Guns are defined by how they are used, and the AR-15 can be used for sport, collection, and personal defense. In order to honor this unnecessarily vilified piece of machinery, my site, JoeforAmerica.com will be giving away a FREE AR-15, valued at $1200. An armed America is a safe America, and I hope everyone will take the opportunity to join in this giveaway. ”

On Friday, a representative for Mayors Against Illegal Guns — the Mayor Michael Bloomberg-affiliated organization that advocates against gun violence — emailed POLITICO to note that the contest could allow participants to circumvent a background check.

“This stunt does a great job of calling attention to the fact that the lack of a required background check for all gun sales and transfers leaves a gaping wide loophole in the law that makes it easy for people who shouldn’t have guns to procure them,” Erika Soto Lamb, communications director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, said as part of a statement. She continued, “We’d like to ask Joe if he will conduct a background check on the winner of the raffle before he hands over the same weapon that killed 20 innocent children in Newtown.”